Kendall Roy: Walter White from Manhattan

Stand-up comedians often use 'The Call-back' technique, delivering jokes at the end of their performance that reference earlier jokes. It always amazes me when they execute this technique flawlessly, seamlessly connecting their jokes from the beginning to the end of their set without me even realizing it. In the world of cinema, I felt the same way when I witnessed the tragic endings of Kendall Roy and Walter White. But honestly, the endings shouldn't feel so tragic because we knew about their reckless behavior from the start of the series. Still, I am just a naive people who have expected too much from them, and the ending still shocks me.

High and Low of Kendall Roy: The Eldest Boy

May 28th, 2023, may have been the most anticipated day by fans of the HBO TV series: the succession as it marked the release of the season finale, S4E10: 'With Open Eyes.' Up until S4E9: 'Church and State,' I couldn't guess who would inherit Logan Roy's throne, as the last position seemed to be held, in a way, by Shiv amidst the significant setbacks of Ken-Rom's maneuver due to Roman's burnout in front of the altar. Yet, Kendall is just being Kendall, the eldest son with many obsessions to become his father's successor. It's no wonder S4E9 ended with Kendall asking Hugo to bark for him in his mission to sabotage Matsson and Shiv.

Kendall undergoes an extraordinary character build-up in this fourth season. Starting the season in a less promising position, he surprises us with remarkable actions like the impressive presentation in Living +, his powerful eulogy replacing Roman, and the intense maneuver against Matsson. As a nave viewer, I felt this final season was deliberately built for Kendall after all his grief and sacrifices in the previous three seasons.

And I was wrong. Kendall is still Kendall. The call-back is made.

In the final episode, S4E10, Kendall's portrayal vividly reminds us of the Kendall we encountered at the beginning of the series: reckless, emotional, and fragile. His pushy behavior throughout the episode reaches its peak when he utters the mantra, "I'm the eldest boy," which immediately makes Shiv and Roman realize that Kendall is unfit to sit on their father's throne. Instead of remaining calm and persuasive as he was in previous episodes, Kendall explodes like being possessed by the spirit of her late father.

Ultimately, the Waystar Royco throne doesn't fall to Ken, Shiv, or Rom but to Tom. It is a truly tragic ending for Ken, somewhat relieving for Rom and mixed emotions for Shiv. Ken spends his final moments sitting lonely at the Hudson River and gazing at the sunset, which can also be interpreted as the "sunset" for his career and obsessions.  It is a brutal ending for him.

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The reason for Kendal is the new Walter White.

Reflecting on the ending of Kendall Roy's story automatically recalls the ending of Walter White's story. Upon further reflection, I discovered that they have several similarities. Firstly, they get nothing at the end of their tales except for a significant amount of money they can't enjoy. Kendall is left with solitude, much like Walter White, although Walter's ending is more honorable; successfully takes revenge on his enemies. Furthermore, they both end up in the same place representing their life journeys: Walter in the meth lab and Kendall facing the "Water."

Another similarity is how their towering egos and greed force them to relinquish the crowns they were so close to attaining. Their ego also drives away colleagues who were often by their side and becomes an obstacle in the future. We must remember how Walter was willing to dispose of Mike, betray Jesse, and even hurt Skyler, his wife, due to an absurd obsession. Similarly, in the recent finale episode, Kendall loses control, yelling at Pregnant Shiv and hitting Roman due to a lost vote. Ken's ending could have been different if he had been more composed and calmer.

Furthermore, I also see similarities in their circles. I see Skyler in Shiv and perceive Jesse in Roman. Both Shiv and Skyler are reluctant to see Walter and Kendall "win," so they often act against what Walter and Kendall desire. Shiv and Skyler also appear "smart" but are frequently deceived by their partners in crime. Meanwhile, Rom and Jesse share a similar trait in that they are not fully aligned with Ken and Walter's obsessions. Still, their inferior and innocent nature allows Ken and Walter to capitalize on them. Rom and Jesse want to break free from the circle and live free and unburdened, as evident in their smiles and shouts in the final episode.

Putting aside this nave analysis, I feel that Breaking Bad and Succession delivered compact, intense, and brutal season finales. These season finales managed to deceive viewers completely by masterfully building up the characters of Ken and Walter, only to shatter them in the end. Throughout the season, I tried to detach myself from both of them and hoped for a happy or peaceful ending to the series.  I was absolutely failed and wrong, and then I must admit that I was tricked by a clever 'call back' made by Jesse Armstrong and Vince Gilligan.